We’re All the Same on the Inside

Same on the Inside: Learning About Kindness and Respect

We're all the same on the inside, a lesson about prejudice.

See Martin Luther King, Jr. Theme for more.

Big Idea:
People may look different on the outside, but we all have feelings on the inside. How we treat one another matters.

Materials

  • 1 or more brown eggs

  • 1 or more white eggs

  • A clear bowl

Lesson Plan

1. Begin with Real-Life Connections

Ask the children:

  • How do you feel when someone is kind to you?

  • How do you feel when someone is left out or treated unfairly?

Explain:

“Everyone has feelings. Even when we look different, we all feel happy, sad, scared, or proud.”

2. Observe the Eggs

Show the children a brown egg and a white egg.

Ask:

  • What do you notice about these eggs?

  • How are they the same?

  • How are they different?

Guide them to notice:

  • Same shape, same size, both fragile

  • Different colors on the outside

3. Predict What’s Inside

Ask:

  • Do you think the eggs will be different on the inside or the same?

  • Why do you think that?

4. Crack the Eggs

Crack both eggs into the bowl and remove the shells.
(Do this above eye level so children cannot track which egg is which.)

Ask:

  • Can you tell which egg came from the brown shell and which came from the white shell?

Pause and let them answer.

5. Make the Meaning Clear

Say:

“Even though the eggs looked different on the outside, they are the same on the inside.”

Connect it to people:

“People are the same way. We may look different on the outside, but inside we all have feelings and deserve kindness.”

Reflection Questions (Age-Flexible)

  • How can we show kindness to someone who looks different from us?

  • What can we do if we see someone being left out?

  • How does kindness make a classroom feel?

Optional Follow-Up Activities

  • Drawing: “Draw a picture of yourself being kind to someone.”

  • Role-Play: Practice inviting someone to join a game.

  • Story Time: Read a book about inclusion or fairness and connect it back to the eggs.

Adapted from idea submitted by: Renee, preschool teacher

See Martin Luther King, Jr. Theme for more.

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